Little Winter
by zerogravitii
Summary: The captain of the tenth division has been stressed, and everyone has been noticing it. He is sent to the world of the living for a "vacation," but a certain orange-haired substitute isn't going to make it restful. Rated M for future chaps! Ichihitsu!
1. Isolation

Okay um. Hi! Hahahaha. This is my first story here, but obviously not the first one I've ever written! There's a definite pairing in this. :)

I hope you guys like it! ...I don't know what else to say! So...enjoy!

* * *

Winter had always been a welcome thing, at least to him. Though the earth would die for a short time, it was a time of rest and a time of beauty. He could feel at home in the branches of a frozen cherry tree with the wind at his back and his eyes to the clouds. At times it almost seemed as if his counterpart's manifest would press its icy scales against his back in greeting.

Here was where he could feel Hyourinmaru.

Toshiro Hitsugaya, captain of the tenth division of the thirteen court guard squads, was at peace. He hadn't been able to calm down recently, which had served to worry his peers and superiors. The frigid captain had been on-edge. They had suggested that he take a holiday, which he didn't object to. He knew where he needed to be. And now here he was.

Jumping down from his perch, the small white-haired man peered at his surroundings. He was in a park with no one around, and solitude was a strange and very welcome thing to him. With Rangiku around, it was seldom that anyone could find time to himself.

As he walked, the snow seemed to shimmer in greeting. He couldn't help but smile, at least a little bit, as a few flecks of the white down landed on his nose.

Where would he go? The world was open to him now. Head-captain Yamamoto hadn't told him when to go back to the Soul Society, though it was doubtless that he would be needed at some point. And then there was the thought of Rangiku doing paperwork—

No, he couldn't think about it. He was in the world of the living to take a vacation, no matter how short it would turn out to be. The last thing that he needed to worry about was paperwork.

"Rangiku said that she would take care of it." Plumes of white smoke floated out with his words to join the clouds. "I have to believe her. She was worried, too."

He had to admit, though, that being in a gigai after so long was strange. Toshiro didn't feel like himself. Rather, he felt almost as if he was in a dream; the captain's awareness of his surroundings was compromised and his head felt light, his thoughts scattered. Was this what it felt like to be human? He didn't remember. It had been so long.

"_How…interesting_."

Toshiro stopped in his tracks. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't felt the twisted spiritual pressure that now surrounded him. Though it was weak, the hollow's very presence was oppressive.

"_You smell like a soul reaper. A strong one. But why are you here__?_"

He wasn't about to be questioned by a half-wit monster. Toshiro shed the skin of the gigai with surprising ease and relished in the feeling of his heightened senses' return. He could smell the freshness of snow, feel the individual molecules in the air brushing against his fingertips. How did humans live without knowing these things?

Hyourinmaru was relieved of its sheath – and the hollow of one of its arms - in one quick motion. Blood the color of rubies stained the snow.

"_You bastard!_" The hollow snarled, stepping out into the light. It was just as ugly as all of the others that Toshiro had ever seen. The mask resembled the face of a lion in a peculiar way, but the body was as warped as any other hollow's. The hollow gripped the stump where its arm had been with the only gnarled hand that it had left. "_My arm! Dammit!_"

"That will be enough of that!" Toshiro scoffed, lifting his zanpaku-to high above his head. "Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyourin—"

"Hey! He's mine!"

That voice. He knew that voice. Toshiro fought his temper as he turned just in time to see a flash of orange and black running by him.

"You ugly bastard! I'll teach you guys to show up here!"

Ichigo Kurosaki, substitute soul reaper, slashed his massive sword right through the hollow as if its body had been made out of butter. The thing's pained cries echoed out into the air before it disappeared into a thousand points of light, destined for the gates of the Soul Society. Toshiro grumbled to himself and dropped Hyourinmaru back into its sheath. That battle had been short-lived.

"I didn't even sense your spiritual pressure until a few seconds ago. What are you doin' here, Toshiro?"

Questions. Always with the questions and the lack of respect. The icy captain bit his tongue in an attempt to fight off the words that he wanted to say.

"That's Captain Hitsugaya to you, Kurosaki, and what I'm doing here is none of your business. I might as well ask you the same thing."

Ichigo laughed and gestured behind him.

"You're in Karakura, you idiot! This is my domain. What, does old man Yama not think that I can handle myself now?"

"You have no right to address the head captain in that manner!" Toshiro's temper flared. "I assure you that's not the case. I'm here of my own accord."

"Oh, so you're running away? Nice job! I'm sure they're gonna drag you back kicking and screaming."

_Idiot_! Toshiro could feel his blood pressure rising by the second. Kurosaki could be absolutely infuriating.

"Nah, I'm just kidding. Captain Ukitake let me know you were coming yesterday. I'm your welcoming party." Ichigo grinned. Toshiro grimaced. "Oh, chill out! You're here to relax, anyway, aren't you? Ukitake said he was worried."

"That's Juushiro for you." The captain rubbed his temples. "Why are you really here, Kurosaki? To irritate me?"

"Like I _said_, I'm your welcoming party. Captain Ukitake wanted to make sure that you would be okay here, so he told me to meet up with you as soon as I could. It just so happened that this hollow happened to appear, so I found you sooner than I thought I would."

Damn that hollow. Damn it to hell.

"Well, thank you for the greeting, but I really should be going."

Toshiro turned and walked over beside the gigai that he had been using, which was now discarded under a tree. The doll came back to life as Toshiro forced his soul back into its inanimate limbs and unthinking mind. The effect was dizzying; he stumbled briefly, but managed to gain his footing.

He turned, but Kurosaki was behind him.

"All right, fine, here it is." The teen's arms were crossed over his chest. Toshiro didn't appreciate the indignant stance. "You don't have anywhere to stay here in the world of the living. You can't stay out on the streets and I know that you don't have any money."

Eyes as cold as ice stared up at the substitute soul reaper. Ichigo pretended not to notice, though, and continued on with his soliloquy.

"I know you don't mind the cold or the outdoors or whatever – I mean, Hyourinmaru _is_ your zanpaku-to – but someone will mistake you for a little kid. It's not safe. And really, Toshiro, you do look like a grade-schooler at first glance."

"Why in hell should I stay with you?"

"Because you have no one else? Unless you want to go and stay with Urahara."

The white-haired man suppressed a shudder. Kisuke Urahara was a fine man, very commendable, but there was something about the twelfth-division ex-captain that unnerved him. Not to mention that he was eccentric and unpredictable. Toshiro really didn't want to know what happened behind the doors of that shop.

So there were two options: stay with Kurosaki, or head straight back to the Soul Society. Neither sounded too appealing; the smaller man swallowed the bile that was rising at the back of his throat. He didn't want his vacation to be cut short so soon, and there was no way that he could relax when he was rooming with Kurosaki who – besides being completely irrational – couldn't control his spiritual pressure. How would they detect any threats?

What other options did he have?

Reluctantly, Toshiro softened his gaze. It wasn't warm or inviting by any stretch of the mind, but it wasn't a stare that threatened death. Ichigo grinned like an idiot.

"I take it you're coming with me?"

"Do I have any other choice?"

The substitute laughed, turned in the direction of the buildings that loomed in the distance, and started walking. Toshiro took one last look at the beautiful snow-covered park, the trees that stretched toward the sun, the peace that he had had for all of a few minutes…and turned his back on it.

He would abandon his scenery of choice for asphalt and buildings that cut into the landscape like a harsh scar. The captain groaned as he stepped through the gates of Karakura Town.

The sign above his head read "WELCOME!" in bold red letters, but he didn't see it. The little voice inside his mind was screaming at him to turn around, and he was about to listen.

But Kurosaki was waiting. His orange hair glowed like fire against the white of the snow.

His snow.


	2. Desperation

Hey, guys! Sorry that this has been so long in coming!

I've just been so busy after just starting college that it's impossible for me to have a set update schedule, you know? I mean...ugh. It's just annoying. I've had so much work, just over the past week. THREE EXAMS! This is what I get. Blegh.

Anyhow, a little about this chapter...uh. It gave me a heck of a time when I was writing it! LOL! It really just deals with character interaction between our two boys, so it wasn't too...EXCITING! to write. I hope you guys understand.

Next chapter, we'll see more of a plot emerge. 3 For right now, I just want to give a basis for their relationship.

Thanks for all the favs and adds for my last chapter! I hope I don't disappoint you guys! I'll keep workin' on this, I promise!

* * *

Even in the most sweltering heat, warmth was never something that he felt. Toshiro sometimes found himself thinking that he had become so in-tune with his zanpaku-to that his very blood was actually frigid water. He knew that wasn't the case, but his body temperature was commonly two or three degrees less than the norm.

The tenth-division captain was lying on Ichigo Kurosaki's bed, curled onto his side with a heavy comforter surrounding him on all sides. Here, he felt warm. "Safe" wasn't exactly what he was feeling, but his mind was at ease.

Oh, what in the world was he doing here?

Last night remained somewhat of a blur, but Toshiro's brain – still half-asleep – was content to replay the events that had transpired.

Once they were into his apartment, Kurosaki had insisted on Toshiro staying, which the frosty captain wasn't in the mood to argue. However, the substitute had also suggested that Toshiro stay in his bed. _Why?,_ he had asked. Ichigo had simply laughed, grabbed some blankets for himself (he planned to sleep on the futon in the living room) and said that that made the most sense. Toshiro wasn't so sure.

He tried to feel angry, but he was too relaxed. Instead, he shifted underneath the warmth of the blanket so that he could stare at the ceiling fan. Round and round, round and round. The cool air on his face was reassuring and normal. Somehow, it helped to make everything seem more real.

Then, a rap at the door.

"Yo, Toshiro! You up?"

A familiar flash of irritation stirred. All in a second, Toshiro was sitting up, the ever-present scowl set back on his face.

"It's Captain Hitsugaya to you, Kurosaki! Just because I'm staying in your house doesn't mean that anything's changed."

Ichigo laughed from behind the separating wall. "I _thought_ you were awake."

The door creaked open to reveal the bright-eyed, flame-haired substitute soul reaper. Toshiro sighed. He wished he could say something about Ichigo's rudeness at having not knocked, but he realized that the strawberry _had_ knocked. Idiot.

"What do you want?"

"Come on now, there's no need to be so hostile. I made breakfast."

"And this excuses your waking me up…how?"

Ichigo frowned a bit, but didn't seem too phased. Toshiro was a little disappointed in this.

"I know for a fact that I didn't wake you up. You keep a tight hold on your spiritual pressure when you sleep, but – as soon as you woke up – I could feel it, just a little bit. I think it was because you're relaxed." Ichigo smirked. "There's really no mistaking your presence."

"Whatever."

The smaller man swung his legs out from under the covers and reluctantly stood up. His eyes were still foggy from sleep and his movements were just the slightest bit unsure, but he managed to squeeze himself between his belligerent host and the doorframe in pursuit of the kitchen. They had come through there last night…right?

"You're goin' the wrong way. Kitchen's this way."

"I knew that."

The kitchen was bright and open, but that was probably because of its meager size in combination with the lack of furniture. Now that he looked more closely, there was only one window, and taking into account that it was currently facing the rising sun meant more light. Later, when it was darker, the room would look leagues smaller.

Toshiro took all of this in as he sat down to the one place setting at the tiny, Formica-top table. He stared at his plate, then to the empty seats and – respectively – empty place settings.

"You're not eating?"

"I get up early," Ichigo replied as he walked over to the sink and the awaiting dishes. "I already ate this morning."

"Ah."

The tenth-division captain glared down at his plate of eggs. He prodded at them and watched as the yolks jiggled happily. Really, that was a little unnatural.

Back in the Soul Society, it was common for high-ranking officers – especially the captains – to be able to order whatever they wanted. The members of the squad would take care of them with no questions asked, and the captains would sit down to their meals without even knowing who prepared them. Now, as he sat at Ichigo's table, glaring at his yellowed reflection in the center of a cooked egg, he realized the strangeness of it.

The taste wasn't too bad. Kurosaki was no chef, but he wasn't an idiot, either. Well…at least not all of the time.

"Didja like 'em?"

His plate was swept away from right before his eyes as Ichigo ran back over to the sink to wash it. He was smiling.

"Yes…thank you."

"Don't mention it." Then, after a moment: "Well, what're you waiting for? Go on and dressed already!"

"Excuse me?"

"Ah, I forgot to tell you, didn't I?" Ichigo half-chuckled. "We're going out today. Orihime invited all of us – you, me, Chad, Uryu and even Rukia – to meet at this new café in town. She just got a job there, so she can get us a discount."

Toshiro could feel his jaw drop and his brow begin to twitch in agitation.

"I'm not here so that you can drag me every---"

"Listen." Ichigo sighed. He leaned up against the counter and held the dishtowel almost lovingly in his hands. "You need to get your mind off of all your responsibilities, you hear me? You're gonna kill yourself. Here, in the world of the living, you don't have anything to worry about. Well, minus the occasional Hollow, but we can take care of that together."

Ichigo tried to lighten up a bit before he continued on.

"You said earlier that things haven't changed, but they have. Here, you don't need to worry about being a captain, or any of that silly stuff. That means that you can enjoy normal things like a chat at a café table or a nice bubble tea—"

"I don't even know what bubble tea i—"

"Toshiro, just drop it! You're coming whether you want to or not, and that's that. You might as well go into it with a better attitude."

The captain's temper flared. He could feel the water molecules in the air beginning to condense and freeze as the air around him crackled angrily.

"I am not a child, and I'm not about to take orders from you, Kurosaki!"

The door to Toshiro's room closed with a resounding _slam _before Ichigo even had time to retort. He was a captain! A captain! And Kurosaki had the nerve to talk down to him and tell him what he should be doing! Toshiro fumed as he sat back down on his unmade bed.

"Toshiro-"

"Leave me _alone_."

Toshiro shuddered. He had released a little too much energy; his body was beginning to feel physically cold, which was never a good thing. The child-size man sat down on the bed and curled his arms around his sides.

"Listen, I'm sorr-"

"Drop it. Drop it, please."

"Are you okay?"

The tenth-division captain stared at the door that was separating him from his host in disbelief. He didn't exactly have a smart reply for that.

"I'm coming in, okay?"

He didn't bother to respond. Ichigo was already in the room, making his way over to the far side of the bed where he plopped down without any kind of grace. How could this man move so swiftly, so smoothly, when he was so…unrefined?

Toshiro looked away, curled his knees up to his chest and buried his face between his knees. He felt sick. He felt angry. He felt bitter.

He felt cold.

"_Talk_ to me, Toshiro."

No, he didn't want to talk. Kurosaki was invading his space. His room. Hadn't he told him to go away? …no. No, he had just told Ichigo to leave him alone.

Was that the same thing?

"I'm fine."

"Just calm down." Ichigo reached out and placed a hand on Toshiro's shoulder. At first, his host's hand was absolutely scalding. It burned! But – as he moved to get away – he realized that he was getting…warmer.

The captain turned to him in shock. Ichigo didn't seem to notice; his overwhelming spiritual pressure just flowed out like water out of a collapsed dam. Despite himself, Toshiro shuddered.

"Come on. Just come. If you hate it, we can leave."

Toshiro looked away again as he grimaced. He shook off Ichigo's hand and stood up, his tiny shoulders set in determination.

"Just this one time, Kurosaki. Just this once."


End file.
